L
ocated by stunning Lake Michigan and rich in inspir-
ing architecture, Chicago is more than just another
big city. Besides its striking downtown area, which includes
some of the tallest buildings in the world, Chicago has a dis-
tinctive coastline, hundreds of vibrant parks, and 77 unique
neighborhoods. And Chicago’s appeal isn’t limited to its city-
scape. The city is also renowned for its music, restaurants and
award-winning chefs, theater, museums, and galleries. That
unique mix of architectural and cultural attractions draws
millions of visitors from all over the planet each year.
In fact, Chicago is such a popular destination that it was
named the nation’s #1 big-city travel destination in Condé
Nast Traveler’s 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. There’s so much
to do in Chicago, you could stay forever and never see it all.
Most of your time at ProMat will be spent at McCormick
Place, the largest convention center in North America with
2. 6 million square feet of exhibit space. However, to really
experience the breadth of what Chicago has to offer, you’ll
need to step outside the convention center and explore.
Consider taking a self-guided tour during your free time.
One place to begin is along the Chicago Riverwalk. This
past fall, the city welcomed Art on theMART, a first-of-its-
kind permanent digital art installation, projected across 2. 5
acres of theMART’s exterior river façade. Projections are
displayed for approximately two hours a night, five days a
week (Wednesday through Sunday), from March through
December.
Just north of the Riverwalk is the Tribune Tower on Michigan
Avenue, a neo-Gothic structure built in 1925 that serves as a
gateway to the Magnificent Mile, known as Chicago’s epi-
center of commerce. Across from the Tribune Tower is the
Wrigley Building, an iconic Chicago visual from the 1920s
modeled after the Gothic-style Seville Cathedral in Spain.
Farther down Michigan Avenue is the historic Water Tower,
one of the few buildings to remain standing after the Great
Chicago Fire of 1871, a dazzling relic of the city’s architectural
roots. Keep walking to see the John Hancock Center, a 100-
story skyscraper that houses the 360 Chicago observatory on
the 94th floor.
In the center of the city, stroll through scenic Millennium
Park, home to the five-acre Lurie Garden and rotating pub-
lic art installations, most notably “Cloud Gate,” a polished
stainless steel sculpture nicknamed “The Bean” because of
its shape. Adjacent to Millennium Park are Maggie Daley Park
(and its massive rock climbing walls) and Grant Park, a 319-
acre landscape often referred to as Chicago’s “front yard,”
separating downtown from the Lake Michigan shoreline.
If the weather isn’t conducive to outdoor activities, check
out the dining, shopping, museums, and cityscape views at
Navy Pier. You can even ride the Centennial Wheel, a fully
Chicago:
CITY BY THE LAKE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHICAGO CONVENTION & TOURISM BUREAU AND CITY OF CHICAGO
